WTA Fed Cup 2019

[BobbyMorri]

So, this is this week. Australia play a strong(ish) US line up in the good old North Carolina.

Teams are as follows.
USA
No. 17 Madison Keys,
No. 23 Danielle Collins,
No. 36 Sofia Kenin
doubles No. 13 Nicole Melichar

Australia
No. 14 and doubles No. 6 Ashleigh Barty,
No. 46 Daria Gavrilova,
No. 142 Priscilla Hon,
No. 157 Kimberley Birrell
No. 160 Astra Sharma

So basically it is Barty(plus doubles partner) v the USA. She will have to win all 3 matches you would think. Very tough. We "miss" ana Tomljanovic as a capable 2nd player who could upset someone on her day. Would like to see Birrell play in front of Dasha for the 2nd singles tie, with Dasha lack of form.

Other matches
World Group 1.
Romania with Halep v Czechs with Pliskova.
2 very strong teams beyond those 2 players. (Buzarnescu, Begu, Bogdan and Niculescu v Siniakova, Vondrousova and Krejcikova)

Germany v Belarus.
Germany has no one really good now(etc no Kerber or Goerges)
Belarus named Azarenka, Sabelenka, Sasnovich and Lapko. So, only 1 winner here.

France v Belgium.
Garcia named for France, for time since her fight with Kiki and others. Kiki also in the team.
Belgium has their strongest team as well, with Mertens leading the line.


World Group 2
Latvia v Slovakia (all big names are named in the tie, including Schmieds)
Swiss v Italy (Bencic and Giorgi(!!!!!!!) are named. Giorgi first tie in years)
Japan v Spain(No Muguruza, No Osaka)
Netherlands v Canada(No Bouchard, so that is good for Canada. No current big names in either team)

In the regional playoff games

Two Top 20 players play Zone Group ties: No.14 Daria Kasatkina and No. 20 Anett Kontaveit.
Monica Puig will beat up on American nations.
The Brits hope to win its first home tie in 26 years.

All up, 9 of the top 20 players will be playing in the first round of Fed Cup. Not a bad number. I reckon a lot of it has to do with the Olympics. Players are running out of chances to qualify for that. 1 player who could miss, after skipping this round of ties, is Wozniacki. She will need a special wild card as she won't have played the required amount of Fed Cup ties for Denmark. perhaps, a little part of me hopes it is because the Girls don't want the Fed Cup to change as the Davis Cup has. But I don't that.

 

[matt_897]

Agree Birrell over Dasha, Dasha's form has been that bad

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

I would even play Sharma ahead of Dasha at this point.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Birrell gets the singles gig along with Barty as expected.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/barty-birrell-to-lead-aust-at-fed-cup

 

[vaughany]

Live coverage now on 9GEM

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Too early for me on a Sunday morning

No surprises so far; Barty over Kenin 6-1 7-6 and Keys over Birrell 6-2 6-2.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Hmm, just noticed Dasha is playing doubles with Ash. I would have put Sharma in the doubles.

 

[matt_897]

Hmm, just noticed Dasha is playing doubles with Ash. I would have put Sharma in the doubles.

With Sharma's kick serve, i cannot disagree.

Although if Barty loses to Keys, wouldn't over surprise me if they put Dasha in for the last singles because of "experience"

 

[matt_897]

Barty takes the first set over Keys. Keys is either going to hit a winner or unforced error. Pure ballbasher

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Barty takes the first set over Keys. Keys is either going to hit a winner or unforced error. Pure ballbasher

You act surprised. That’s all Keys is and it’s got worse over the last year.

 

[Hamingja]

Asheville heh.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Dasha just lol

Should have just played the other girl. Dasha is hopeless

 

[Me Myself and I]

Barty/Keys. 11 breaks of serve in 17 games.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Wow. Hon is playing in the doubles. Geech, there has been a lot of changes to the team.

Barty is huge here.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

The Aussies get the break.

Don’t understand what is going on with player selections at all but hopefully we can get this done anyway.

 

[BobbyMorri]

So, Brazil, Britain, Kazakstan and Russia won their groups, while Japan, Slovakia, Dutch and Italy lost in the playoffs. They play each other for a place in World Group 2.

Which means, if we lose this, we could play either Latvia, Canada, Spain or Swiss(or Germany, Belgium and Czech Replubic) for a place in World Group 1. Avoid Latvia at all costs.

If we win, we get Belarus, which would be very tough. The other semi will be Romania v France. Personally, think we will have a Belarus v Romania final. Can't see how either nation loses if their big players turn up.

This was the big tie in the world group. Halep v Pliskova went for 2 and a half hours and the tie only just finished an hour ago. Huge win for Romania.

 

[BobbyMorri]

First set won 6-4. Saved a couple of breaks points but we have been the better team. Hon is playing well(much better than Collins) and Ash is Ash.

Got the break in the 2nd.

 

[BobbyMorri]

How good is this? Wonder if the Davis Cup will have such scenes......

Bugger, Hon just got broken.

 

[matt_897]

Americans really attacking Hon

 

[BobbyMorri]

Hon. Really loves the drop cross.court volley. She's good at them.

Break back. Great game there by Hon.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

They did it!!!! Well done girls!!!

 

[matt_897]

Hon played the service game for her life to finish it. Amazing effort.

 

[BobbyMorri]

Well done girls.

If I had the number 1 draft pick and i had to choose a Fed Cup player, I would pick Ashley Barty every time. Just a fantastic tennis player. Hon played really well. Outperformed Collins and really held her own. Good call by Alica. Winning against the US in the US is a magnificent achievement.

A home tie gives us hope against Belarus.

 

[juice t]

Both the Czechs and Americans losing at home on the same weekend
That would not have happened in a long long time

 

[pepsi]

Fantastic result from the aussies this weekend. Barty, take a bow.

The Romanian win was equally as impressive, especially from halep.

The fed cup is now the superior representative international tennis competition.